Battle of Lake Erie commemorated on Forever Stamp

Written by Press Staff Writer

September 12, 2013

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Two hundred years ago, the phrase, “We have met the enemy and they are ours,” was penned by U.S. Navy Master Commandant Oliver Hazard Perry in a report notifying General William Henry Harrison that the British had been defeated at the historic Battle of Lake Erie.

To commemorate the resounding triumph of the War of 1812 the U.S. Postal Service dedicated the War of 1812: Battle of Lake Erie Forever stamp on Sept. 10 – the 200th anniversary of the iconic battle. The First-Day-of-Issue dedication ceremony took place at the Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial on South Bass Island in Lake Erie near the location of the battle.

Available in sheets of 20, customers may purchase the stamps at usps.com/stamps, at 800-STAMP-24 (800-782-6724) or at local Post Offices.

The USS Constitution Forever stamp, issued last August, was the first in the War of 1812 Forever stamp series. Details on additional stamps in the series will be announced at a later date.

For the stamp art, the Postal Service selected William Henry Powell’s famous painting, “Battle of Lake Erie.” The oil-on-canvas painting, completed in 1873, was commissioned by the U.S. Congress and placed at the head of the east stairway in the Senate wing of the Capitol in Washington, D.C. It depicts Perry in the small boat he used to transfer from his ruined flagship, the Lawrence, to the Niagara.

A 19th-century engraving of Perry by William G. Jackman (after John Wesley Jarvis) is shown on the reverse of the stamp pane.

Many of this year’s other stamps may be viewed on Facebook at facebook.com/USPSStamps, via Twitter at @USPSstamps or at beyondtheperf.com/2013-preview.

First-Day-of-Issue postmark

Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. Stamps should be affixed to an envelope addressed to oneself or others, and placed in a larger envelopes addressed to:

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. For more than 50, the price is 5 cents each. All orders must be postmarked by Nov. 10, 2013.

The U.S. Postal Service dedicated the “War of 1812: Battle of Lake Erie Forever” stamp on Sept. 10 – the 200th anniversary of the historic battle. (Image courtesy of the U.S. Postal Service)